Dial M for Mafia

If you really want to feel a connection to the mafia, ditch the season whatever of The Sopranos and head to your closest neighborhood payphone.

Local artist Aaron Abbott  who spent more than a year capturing every payphone in the grid from 16th to 24th streets and from Thomas Road to Van Buren Street  discovered many things on his photography walkabout, including the communication connection between the dying devices and the Bonanno crime family, who reportedly only used payphones to conduct business.

While pursuing this project, Ive been amazed at the number of mob-phones which still exist. While my project is still a work in progress, roughly two-thirds of the phones which I have hunted down still exist, says Abbott, whose Phonebook series is currently on display at Conspire, 901 North 5th Street. (The images have also been compiled into a limited-edition book, which is available for purchase at Conspire.)